A toddler was raped, but as horrific as the thought is, those who raped her shouldn't be punished. You see, her attackers were just boys -- 7- and 9-year-old boys who shouldn't even know what rape is. Someone is to blame, but it's not them.
It happened in Memphis this past summer. The 2-year-old victim's brother, 5, saw it occurring and told his mom. Thank goodness he did. While the boys first blamed each other, they later admitted to the crime.
The boys are due in court today where prosecutors are recommending they be removed from their families' homes and placed in state custody for treatment, not punishment. They want to determine what these boys have been exposed to that would make them do this to another child. James Sanders, the attorney defending the 9-year-old boy, told the Memphis Commercial Appeal:
What happened to this victim is horrible, nobody is minimizing that. But my client has a lot of problems and needs some immediate help. Somebody's got to rescue this kid.
Someone has to rescue them all.
This is one of those stories that I recount through tears, because it's so awful and so unimaginable that such vile, evil things can happen to innocent children. And really, at this point, all three should still be innocent. Something has to be very, very wrong in one's life for a mind that young to be infected like this.
But as much as I don't want to blame these boys because of their age, where do we draw a line? Is there really an age at which one suddenly should be able to account for his tragic background, overcome what he's been exposed to, and now be able to stand up and do the right thing? Yes, we have to expect that, but we also have to expect that some won't be able to. It doesn't in any way make what the victim suffered any less horrifying or their actions justifiable in the least, it just make the whole situation more tragic.
Do you think these boys should be punished?
Image via davedehetre/Flickr
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Comments 1040
some type of punishment is in order and a serious investigation into parenting...kids learn about things from peers this is true, but if little boys are committing rape, they have other issues as well. Most kids learn about rape and do not go on to decide to commit rape. That is something wrong either in the child or in parenting. As to trying to blame each other, kids do that as a knee jerk when they get in trouble and you know darned well that when caught they could read the adults were upset and therefore are gonna deny deny deny... The fact is at their age, while they do not yet have full cause and effect down, they do know hurting someone else is wrong...if not, THAT is a parenting fail. Obviously they do not belong in Jail but they do deserve to be punished and going before a judge should occur to make them realize the seriousness... but I fear that you have two little sociopaths in the making. "Normal" people do not choose rape, or hurting people as proper behavior. Kids hit, bite, break stuff, shove, etc...kids do not rape or torture, unless they have an essential part of their psyche jacked up.
What else but punishment. Must they be decorated. COME ON
I wonder since the victim is 2 years old... Where ANY adult was??? I have been a mom for 19 years, of 3 boys. My younger two are 7 & 10. I could NEVER see them even knowing how to do this! My 19 year old was a virgin until 18 because at 10, he thought sex meant "kissing in bed!" It all boils down to PARENTING! I'm so tired of seeing these horrible news stories. Get it together, or keep your legs together.. Pick One & Go With It!
This is just too insane and disturbing for me to properly comprehend or form an opinion on.
I agree with you here. I don't think they should be punished at all. Just because they knew it was wrong doesn't mean that they are the guilty party. They were acting out from previous abuse. Kids that age don't understand that sort of drive unless someone has sexualized them. They also knew it was wrong when they were abused and they hid that too. Not all kids who have been abused act out on other children but many do and to punish them for it is cruel in my opinion. Oh by the way, I am a law and order conservative type and not a bleeding heart liberal. Those children are victims acting out. They have already been punished and will continue to be punished for the rest of their lives. There is no need to pile on.
They need to be punished, and they need psychological treatment. No punishment=do it again. No treatment=do it again.